"And in those simple beautiful movements I remembered what was really important in training; that consistency trumps intensity; all the time. That intensity is born from consistency. That one cannot force it, one has to lay in wait for it, patiently, instinctively, calmly and be ready to grab it when Grace lays it down in front of you."

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Haven't settled in yet at all to training the snatch on Wednesdays. I know I will but it's not there yet. Recovered well from Tuesdays long cycle high reps but wasn't feeling too peppy when I got back home to Stones gym after 7 clients in a row.

Plus I freeze my butt off all day as I have to keep the studio cool enough to accommodate my clients increased body temp from all the swings and snatches but it makes me feel like my body is made of petrified wood by the end of the day. I stretch and move but it doesn't help much.

So it's my ten minute passive warmup hot bath and then out to the gym

I wanted to go with 24 kg snatches but all I have now at the Rifstonian Institute( aka StonesGym) is a comp bell and while it works well for my swings I do not like it at all for Hardstyle snatches. the bell handle is too far from the bell's center of mass and this makes my already long stroke even longer.

Too long. Plus my body was telling me I wasn't that strong today and to back off.

I listened. The 20 kg DD bell felt great and I cranked out 150 reps in short order.

Snatch ladders

16 kg x5/5 x3

20 kg x5/5

24 kg x5/5 x2

20 kg x5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/8

x9/9

x10/10

x5/5 x 5 sets mvo2 style

150 reps

6600 lbs

the last five sets were done with very short rests between sets and a maX VO2 pace. I considered actually doing max vo2 which I think I am almost ready to bring back into the mix. but not yet. I have to build back up to 200 plus reps with the 24 kg before I start alternating these workouts with Mvo2 days.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Reading Ferris's book and thinking about my bodybuilding days and high intensity training really got me up for continuing the mass gains I have been making in the last few months. It hasn't been intentional; this is what happens if you have nice long bouts of uninterrupted progressive training coupled with decent rest, recover and stability in your life.

Especially my upper body which grows like a weed if I just give it a chance.Everyone has muscles that grow easily others that are almost impossible to improve. I showed up with a decent upper body, started swimming almost daily at two years old, spent hours and hours as a pre adolescent surfing and paddling then got into gymnastics. Uh, can you say almost ALL upper body training during my most important developmental years.

Can't say the same for my legs which I trained far harder than my upper body in attempts to balance my physique with hardly much to show for it at all, PLUS if you stop loading your 'not natural' muscles they disappear fast. Having to stop squatting and deadlifting because of my back did not help my legs' cause.

But muscle's not that hard to grow, it just takes, like most things in life, more patience than most of us have. Contrary to popular belief, it's not heavy weights and low reps that build size but sets and reps. Volume builds muscle. That's why bodybuilders train for the pump. Because they know that whatever size they can pump the muscle up to with high tension exercises and short rest periods between work sets, they can eventually turn into 'real' muscle.

Muscle size that is there even when they are not 'pumped.'

SO today was longcycle day in the press and I thought about doing sets and reps of ten, the bodybuilders classic rep choice for a decent blend of both size, strength and pump.

BUT, I wanted use the 24 kg and really didn't know if I could do one set, much less multiples.As usual I would have to wait til I had weight in hand to know anything about how the workout would be.

My lower back was unusually tight this morning during my 6-7 am stretchout; not a great sign but also possibly the omen of a great workout as I have never pr'ed on days I came in feeling great!

6-7 am stretchout

really worked with Ferris's new hip stretch and MAN it rocks! The idea is to place the head of the femur towards the back of the hip socket and it has made an immediate difference in my tight piriformis and deep hip rotators . A big time saver too.

bretzells,lying hamstring strap stretch, up dog, down dog, back bends over stability ball ( this has been neglected and felt great to not only do again but work hard on.) stick shrugs overhead behind back stretches, hip opening squat.

felt solid at the end

Long cycle Clean and press

16 kg x5/5 x2

20 kg x5/5

24 kg x10/10

x10/10

x10/10

Man this was seriously serious hard! I had to really remember to go slowly and have patience. one rep at a time.Let it burn.

Just like the old days,lol

It really helped to have my Queen training right along side me, rep for rep.What great energy and so good to challenge her with something new. She has never done 10's with the long cycle and could really feel it working her in a new way.

SO much of Tracy's incredible muscle mass comes precisely from this combination of high volume workloads, plenty of tension and the multiplier effect of high acceleration forces in total body compound exercises! It's building muscle,burning fat and creating functional mass and movement strength all at the same time.

People say they want better biceps, do bunch of heavy high rep cleans and get back to me. These were two minute long sets and that a lot of time gripping the weight.

I really wasn't sure I could get the third set and was really to settle for 8's but got a nice surge of power and brought it home. Again, kinda like my old days. Back to the future.

And what a freaking pump! crazy in the arms shoulders upper back and forearms.in a good way of course,lol. But I was done pressing.

But not with arms. onto clubs.

Two hand arm casts

15 lbs x5/5

20 lbs x5/5

25 lbs x 10/10 x 3 sets

On short cycle days I am planning two hand swipes but on long cycle days it's the arm cast

Three sets of ten finished me off with my lats, triceps and mid thoracic muscles screaming at me.

Bodyblade laterals

3x10/10

just for fun ,lol but these things are as hard as you make them and they definitely were a perfect finisher for my shoulders.The blade is a carbon fiber reactive interia device which means the more force you put into the movement the more comes back at you.

It was developed for rehab purposes but I like it for shoulder arm work as well.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Tracy and I owned a very hardcore World Gym in Campbell Ca for nine years. The gym's previous owner was Dr Scott Connelly, inventor of MetRx engineered meal replacements. It had been called Ironworks Gym for the 18 years it had existed before we took it over and was full of competitive powerlifters, olympic lifters, track and field athletes( Bruce Jenner trained there before his Olympic wins) and hardcore bodybuilders.

While we changed the name and made it a little more 'human" friendly we still had a seriously hardcore bunch of athletes there and we were determine to keep it that was as much as possible. I fell into competitive powerlifting and workouts were never to be missed unless someone was going to the hospital and sometimes not even then,lol.

So if a scheduled workout fell on a holiday well, guess what, the gym was open that day.At least until I finished my training. Christmas was no different. We got up early, got the kids their presents and then Daddy went to the gym to do what needed to be done.

Well now, the kids are all grown up and Mom and Dad still need to get their workout done and today was no different. Tracy took a poll among her class as to who wanted to come it and train her class as usual and the almost everybody showed up!

As a trainer I have learned that clients LOVE to train on holidays as they can get their workouts in without a rush so I end up working most holidays as well.One of the downsides of my business is that if I don't work I don't get paid. There are no 'personal days' or sick days or paid vacations in my business.

So it was off to the gym today to swing some bells. Hey, even Nick got special dispensation from his wife to make it today as well.As any serious training partner would :))

Today was the switchover day from snatches to swings and the 28 kg was on the menu.But I also needed to get some two hands back in the mix so I started there.

Two Hand swings

16 kg x10 x 3

20 kg x8 x3

24 kg x8x3

28 kg x8 x3

My new technique worked even better than I had hoped with the two handers and I got a better reach back than before and even more legs and hips into the mix, with less back involvement. Perfect.

Basically the technique boils down to: down, then back. Break at the knee, then hinge. It's very hard to see for the average person but it feel significantly different to me and that's the key.

One arm swing ladders

16 kg x5/5

20 kg x5/5

24 kg x5/5

28 kg x5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/8 x 3 rounds

156 reps

9828 lbs

Ladders work great when you are not strong enough to do straight sets and I will do them until I can do 300 plus reps with this whenever I want; then onto straight sets.

Nick surprisingly switched over to swinging as well and really experienced why swings are the Center of the KB Universe. They kicked his butt. He said he would much rather do snatches: they're easier,lol.

Clubbell Barbarian Press

15 lbs x5/5

20 lbs x8/8 x 3 sets

25 lbs x5/5 ( too heavy to keep good form!)

I was amazed at how much harder the 25lb'er was to hold form than the 20! This mix of swings and horizontal presses worked well. Video is above.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Today was the crossover workout as I'm switching Thursdays to snatches and Saturday's main day as swings. I didn't want to use the 24 again today so I went down to the 20 kg and banged out a quick 150 reps with Nick, who had the day off .

I also got an early start due to client vacation/ cancellations so it was sweet to start the workout at 12 noon instead of just leaving Girya for the drive home at that time. A ten minute hot bath passive warmup and into the slowly transforming garage for some basic work on snatch and my new technique.

Snatch

16 kg x 5/5 x 3

20 kg x5/5 x11 sets

x10/10 x 2 sets

150 snatches

6600 lbs

was actually on my way to 200 but decided to not push things at all and called it a day. Stretchout afterwards and that was that. Very easy but that was the point.Next step off a peak and all that....

Saturday more 28 kg swing volume and clubbell work for Christmas!

hey someone should tell the guy in the above picture no one stretches anymore. It's OUT!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

lol, is what I yelled at the finish of my second military press with the 32 kg this morning. I got to go to a place where I used to live and now only rarely get to visit. That place where all things strength is possible, where you can lift and not get weaker, run but not get tired, push your self and not get hurt, where control exists and bends to your will.

Make up your mind and accomplish what you set out to.Where what you see in your mind's eye you can make the body do.

If you watch closely( not that any one would want to,lol) you can see me smile after my first rep, KNOWING that although I had only planned on doing one, I could do two, or more, or more if I wanted to.

Again, known territory, unvisited for quite awhile but so glad to see still exists. In me too.

Tim Ferris in the Four Hour Body speaks about what I've known for most of my life; that one of the few things in life, in fact possibly the only thing that one can control to any degree at all is their body. And that's tough enough as it is but it's possible. Most everything and everyone else is mostly out of your control.

But not where you choose to go and what you choose to do.And today was one of those payoff days. How nice to arrive just when I really needed it.

I had almost given up on getting to play there again :))

6-7 am stretchout and joint mobility

8:30 am Short Cycle Clean and press

one arm swings 16kgx5/5/x3

Press

16 kg x5/5

20 kg x3/3

x1/1

24 kg x3/3

28 kg x3/3 x 3 sets

32 kg x1/1

x2/2

28 kg x 3/3 x3 sets

The 28 kg is my new 24 kg for presses. I am no longer scared of it at all and know I can do sets and reps with it safely. I had hoped it would be so today and had thought about even going up and playing with the 32 kg but thought that might be too much too ask.

But when the 28 felt like it did, after three sets I did my single rep and smiled my way through that as well. I didn't want to be greedy but everything felt so go I thought I should do at least another single before going back to work with the 28kg.

When the single felt so good I doubled it so easily it made me shout out at the top,lol.

I know, I'm a goof but hey, it's good to feel good once in awhile

Two Hand Clubbell Swipes

15 lbs x8/8

20 lbs x8/8

25 lbs x 5/5

x 6/6

x7/7

x8/8

man those got heavy fast lol. I like doing the full body swipe on short cycle days and will alternate those with just two hand arm casts on my long cycle press days.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

I've decided to switch Saturdays to swing training and snatch on Wednesdays. I did this for a very simple practical reason; I'm going to push up my swing training and rather than bring home a bunch of heavy bells from Girya I'm just going to switch days and snatch on Wednesday where the the heaviest bell I need is a 24 kg.

I also want to up the volume of swings( and break my old pr's) and this will make the workouts longer, something I DON'T want to do after training clients all morning. Nick will still snatch but that's no problem. Since I did a ton of swings yesterday I still snatched today and will split the workout on Wednesday with some snatches and swings and get on the new schedule next week.

7-8 am stretch out

8 am Snatch

16kg x5/5/x2

20 kg x5/5

x3/3

24 kg x5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/8 x 3 rounds

156 reps !!

8268 lbs

haven't done this many pure snatches with the 24 in a while and it felt great.really focused on doing one rep at a time and going through all my cues for my new groove. it went very solid and bottom position , hamstrings( which had been talking to me), grip and wind were all solid.

Plus I wasn't sore at all from Thursday's swings in the same groove which was a very good sign I am on the right track. The loads were spread very well.

Watching the video it's hard to see the differences in this technique and my former one but the movement feels completely different, even in the tempo . But it really feels safe and strong and powerful, if not just a little slower in and out of the bottom. But my grip and rip days are over,lol.For snatches and deadlifts. Good thing :))

Swing setup tutorial.

this is for Piers, who asked this question on the comments section of my blog

Thursday, December 16, 2010

This was a grind but a pr grind nonetheless. It was a good decision to take yesterday off and swing today but it was still hard to get started. Late night and early start didn't make things easier either but hey, what can you do? Most times these are the days that produce good results and today was no exception.

One arm swing ladders ( in Stone Gym)

16 kg x5/5 x2

24 kg x 5/5

x7/7

x9/9

x6/6

x8/8

x10/10 x 3 rounds

then: 5/5 x 5 rounds

320 reps /current pr

16,960 lbs

I really love ladders and they let me sneak up on the reps gradually and allow this slow warmer-upper to really get warm enough to do the hard sets easily and strongly. They are perfect for sparing fatigue as you attempt high volume work on any exercise. Tracy is the Queen of Ladders and now I really see why.

MY swing form was spot on too. My new technique works well for snatches and swings , although my clean groove is not the same. I really, really hold the glutes and quads tight at the top of the arc AS the bell falls and try to break late into the hinge and it really keeps the combined centers of gravity over my base(feet) much better and I feel it so much more in my legs and hips and not at all in my back.

Although I still get into my leaning style ,it's later into the arc than before.I focus A LOT on staying flat on my WHOLE FOOT and not getting entirely on my heels or ,even worse, on my toes( that never happens to me- the knee doesn't bend enough for that,lol)

I also try to break at the knee THEN the hip, as bending at the knee 10-20 degrees really engages the glutes ( which is a tough one for me) and provides a stable base, allowing me to hinge from there.

This is what messed me up in the power squat as they require a start with locked knees.If I could have started with a slight knee bench my form, groove and strength would have been much better. Having to try to find that position from a locked knee was never the same.

The key is keeping my entire foot flat on the ground and (trying) to bend at the knee as I hinge.

Nice to feel the whole leg working and not just the back/ hips.It doesn't bother the knees either ;))

I am so glad to be getting back into swing form, it is the Center of the RKC Universe after all and I have to give it it's due.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The 4-Hour Body, new book by Com. Tim Ferriss, RKCII, is packed with cutting edge advice on strength training, exercising for fat loss, and injury proofing your body. Become an early adopter today—or wait ten years until everyone is doing it.

Interview with Tim Ferriss, RKCII about Kettlebells, Preparation for the RKC course, and his New Book The 4-Hour Body

Q: Now you're RKCI and RKCII certified—what compelled you to take it further? Any tips for aspiring RKCs?

To be perfectly honest, it was less about the tool -- the kettlebell -- and more about the methodology. Allow me to explain:

RKC was the most systematic approach I found for acquiring the skill of strength. This includes everything from biomechanics and leverage to programming. There aren't many certs where you can see someone go from pressing a 24kg bell to a 40kg bell in three days.

The principles of maximal strength that I learned and practiced at RKC apply to barbells and dumbbells -- and the playing field -- as much as they apply to kettlebells. Kettlebells are, however, a fantastic vehicle for learning the principles because, in general, you get more feedback. This is especially true with a diagnostic like the TGU.

For aspiring RKCs, here are some tips. Focus on the swing first. Your snatch will only be as strong as your swing. I've worked up to 50+ continuous reps with the Beast (click to play). It's harder to "snap" with the Beast than the 24kg! You'll notice about 20 DD KBs lining the hallway…Read the complete article

In The 4-Hour Body you will see kettlebells and a number of familiar names, including RKCs Coms. Tracy Reifkind, Zar Horton, and Gray Cook. A chapter in the book has been dedicated to Com. Tracy's kettlebell swing training for extreme fat loss. Perfect timing—Com. Tracy Reifkind, RKC, just released a DVD.

If you searching a brutally effective fat loss and conditioning regimen, you have found it: Programming the Swing. I was so impressed with Tracy Reifkind's innovations that I am incorporating some of them into the RKC curriculum.

Last month while attending Hardstyle Ventura, Team Leader Paul Daniels was complimenting me on how I put together my DVD "Programming the Kettlebell Swing" He told me that he thought that it should become "required viewing for all RKC's " One of the points he brought up was that although he was familiar with a few of the methods I've developed and teach, he never thought to put them in an organized progressive way that would make it easy for anyone, including himself a kettlebell professional, to use this most basic of kettlebell movements, the swing, as an end in itself, not just a means to and end…until now… Read the complete article

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

As I noted about last weeks press I want the 28 kg to be my new base weight for presses. Short cycle presses, that is, where I just clean the weight once and then do consecutive presses. For long cycle clean and press the 24 is still a challenging weight and it's nice to know it's going to feel light enough to do lots of sets and reps with it with no mental stress.

But it ain't easy,especially as the reps add up, as I found out.

Tuesdays are great because Tracy and I get to train together on the exact same exercise, no small thing and I can push her a bit which is nice for a change.Of course she trained with me after training swings and snatches for 2+ hours, but hey,I'll take it :))

As I did my workout it really got to me how just not very long ago at all I couldn't put any weight over my head without suffering serious shoulder consequences and now I feel like I can actually push myself a bit safely. Nice.

It always amazes me that so many people with healthy uninjured bodies, brand new cars, if you will, that never seem to want to take them out for a real drive; open them up a bit and see what they can do. You don't know what you had til it's gone then it's too late.

this was seriously hard and easy at the same time!lol.Hard because its a long ass set on ONE arm( about 35 seconds) and then you have to do the other one as well,lol. Easy but I felt like I could just toss the bell around no matter how tired I was getting. Nice. Kinda like the old days; I remember strong. It's still in there.

It's also interesting to note the difference between my lower body and upper body endurance. No surprise, really, considering I grew up on my hands, upside down; but if my shoulders let me I can do really high reps and lots of sets with pretty decent weights and recover very fast. Not so with the legs, hips and back. The opposite of Tracy.

I remember training speed bench with Steve Silver, a legit 500 lb bencher and a solid 230 lbs and being able to use the same weight( 225), for the same reps and keeping the same bar speed for 10 sets of 3 with 2 sets of chains attached ( 80lbs each set),alternating grips each set, with almost no rest between sets and then doing close grips with 275, 315, 325 and 359 AFTER THE main work. Nice.

I thought, briefly, about doing another set of 8's but I was running short on time and the last set of 7 was TOUGH!

Barbarian press

I've played with these before but seeing Scott Sonnon do Barbarian squat presses on youtube yesterday reminded me of them I was very surprised at how much better my lockout was this time than the last time I did these probably almost a year ago.

Tracy has really gotten into clubbell work as well. it's so good for the triceps lats and grip in a completely different way than kbs.

10lbs x5/5

15 lbsx5/5x2

20lb x6/6 x2

looking at the video though I see I still have to keep my shoulders lower at the lockout. no worries this was great and worked the crap outa my triceps and pecs, too. I am so digging the clubbell work these days and still find it the perfect compliment to my kb practice.

Two hand swipes

20 lb cb x10/10 x 3 sets

wow. I got a lot done in a short amount of time this morning. finally adapting to the early starts again,. about time

One arm swings either tomorrow or Thursday,depending how I feel at the end of the workday.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

My wife is not only the Queen of the KB swing, she is also the Queen of Ladders and I guess that has rubbed off on me.Now , I've done ladders for years since I discovered them from Pavel(" climb to the top, then jump down to the bottom and start over") in Enter the Kettlebell; and before that, ladders of a sort in bodybuilding and powerlifting ( basically just climbing up to the top and then climbing back down) or what we called a pyramid,either half( just up) or full up then down.

Ladders are a fatigue sparing technique,and allow you do to more work with less overall fatigue,just what I need lately to build my volume back up. We had the honor of having Ken Froese, RKC come and train with Nick and I today and Ken is one strong dude. I only have one Bulldog( 44 kg) bell at Girya so Ken brought his own today for his double press workout.

I had thought about doing another press workout to get in the feel of the day but decided I have to keep Rob O'Brien from overtaking my position on the snatch board so snatches it was. What I was hoping for was that Ken's serious strength and attitude would have a motivating and fatigue sparing effect in itself on Nick and I, and I was right.

It had a great effect on Nick and he did his snatch ladders with the 32 kg and even did a pr set of 5/5 with the 36 kg bell! Nick wondered why even though their was three of us alternating instead of the usual two we were moving faster,lol.

It was just good energy and with Tracy solidly into the second hour of her 3.5 hour training/teaching session the energy was just great all over Girya!

warmup:

one arm swings

16kg x5/5/5/5 x3

Snatch ladders

16 kg x5/5x2

20 kg x5/5

x7/7

x9/9

42 snatches

24 kg x5/5

x6/6

x7/7 x 3 rounds

108 snatches

150 total snatches

actually thought they would add up to more but I just went how I felt.My new form felt solid and I was very happy not to have almost any DOMS from Thursdays swing training. That was unexpected

heres a video of the last set of sevens on the third round

And here's Ken working the Bulldogs hard. I love this video because Ken, after doing 6 sets of double presses decides to attempt a double rep on the 7th set. Now that's the training spirit, AND although he didn't make the second rep he misses it, as Pavel says, like a professional, never losing his groove or altering his position.

Ken reminds me of the pro wrestler Triple H and he's just as big.

Two Hand Clubbell arm casts

15 lb x10/10

20 lb x8/8

25 lb x8/8 x 3 sets

Put a fork in me I'm done! My tri's starting cooking early, I guess they were still a bit on the tender side after Thursdays light and fast one arm cast work. Light work can make me every bit as sore, or more, than heavy training.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Was going to train as scheduled yesterday but a new client went over and two cancelled today so I decided it was better to wait until this morning when I had plenty of time and energy to train hard, rather than trying to fit it in when I was mo' tired yesterday.

I knew/ know, that I am running the risk of DOMS catching up to me on saturday when it's time to snatch or press hard but I just wasn't into yet yesterday once I knew I had options today.

So I tried to be cautious and cut the volume but upped the weight to the 28 kg.

I haven't done a full swing workout with a weight heavier than the 24 kg in forever and it felt great. Strong and my groove felt solid. Really focused on laying back a bit at the top of the swing,pulling the bell in closer over my base of support by keeping the glutes tighter longer and keeping the 'root' more solid longer.

This lets me initiate with a bit of a knee bend before hinging back and I feel much safer and stronger in this position. The knees have to bend at least 15 degrees for the glutes to engage and my old style was getting to 'tippy bird' too early and using too much back and hip and almost no leg and glute.

My legs are letting me know this is a good thing now.

I decided on laddering up because I didn't know if I could start, much less maintain, a higher rep count for any number of sets. I love ladders as they give me confidence to increase the difficulty of the next set based on the success of the last.

It's just like putting another plate on the bar after the last addition went easily. Success breeds success.

One arm swing ladder

16 kg x5/5/5/5x2

20kg x5/5/5/5

24 kg x5/5 x2

28 kg x5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/8

x9/9

x10/10

x5/5 x 5 sets

140 swings with 28

8820 lbs

These went great. everything felt connected and strong and nothing hurt. Put some AC/DC on Pandora and went for it. I left with lots more in the tank but with respect for what I have to do with only one day rest.

Here's some video of the last set of 10/10 , shot with my new IPhone. I also realized to get the video to take up the full screen I have to turn it on it's side. Hey, I've only had it a couple days. But man I love this thing :))

Post workout stretch

30 solid minutes of foam roller, brettzells, hamstring stretches, up and down dog and overhead and behind back stick stretches in front lunge and horse stance postures.Nice to stretch out after the workout for a change when the body is warm and tired, ready to give in to the stretch.

datsit. Hopefull some big presses and snatches on saturday with Ken Froese when he comes to visit.Here's a video of him pressing some very very big weights.

datsit:))

Two Hand Shield casts

15 lbs x 10/10 x 5 sets

One Arm casts

10 lbs x10/10 x 3 sets

Wanted to just get some volume in and went light and fast. Love my clubbells.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

As I wrote last week, I want the 28 kg to be the new floor in my press routine. I feel like I can press the 24 kg for as many reps as I want to now. It feels light, like the 16 kg. The 28 doesn't feel "light" as it should, yet, but it now feels like the 24 kg used to and that is good.It's all mindset anyway.The lighter I feel it is the easier it is to get tight and set; and expect the press to fly.

I got over the DOMS from Saturdays snatch workout and slight change of technique( which always activates new muscle patterns and hence soreness) yesterday and felt ready to go this am.

Stretched out from 6-7 am as Tracy taught her class.focused on getting my hams open and overhead stretches in both front lunge and horse stance postures.These are really coming along. As usual , downward and up dogs,brettzels two ways, straddle stretches and foam roller work as well as stick shrugs and behind the back stick stretches..

8:30 KB Mil Press

one arm swing warmup

16 kg x 5/5/5/5 x 2

one arm clean

16 lg x5/5 x3

Mil Press Ladders

16 kg x5/5

20 kg x3/3 x2

24 kg x3/3

24 kg x1/1

28 kg x 1/1

x2/2

x3/3

x4/4

x5/5 pr!

x1/1

x2/2

x3/3

the last set of five

Perfect. I OWNED this weight today. Just as it should be.So great to train with my Queen as she did rep after rep with the 16 kg, So proud of her! This last set of five for me was not hard at all.

Two Hand Clubbell swipes

15 kg x 10/10

20 lbs x10/10

25 lbs x10/10 x 3 sets

these were great, a nice combination of mid line swing technique and the overhead cast. Tracy did them for the first time with the tens and rocked them .I love training with just her and I every Tuesday :))

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Teaching the snatch in Hungary.I felt great from Wednesdays one arm swing fest on Thursday and Friday but woke up this morning with some strange cramping in my leg rectus femoris( main hip flexor of the quads) for no damn good reason. I say that the definition of getting old is getting injured sleeping.

Well, here's a great example. I did nothing,really, out of the ordinary yesterday or the day before, stretched out and woke up with a weird muscle spasm that I couldn't explain. The I did do some fairly dynamic high knee lifts that I haven't done before but c'mon, I gotta walk that thin a line? well I guess I do because the leg didn't want to release this morning and I didn't have a lot of time to stretch before my workout time started.

Of course I could have just stretched out and skipped the session but I have had enough experience with things like this that I know that sometimes just getting back into a 'normal' motor pattern can reset the bodyclock and the 'pain' goes away. Or at least diminishes greatly.

So I figured I would warm up and see how things felt then but man, I hate little crap like this! I just have to be very,very, very careful with which movements I do and how 'hard'. MY engine is way to strong for this frame these days and I have to always remember that.

I also know that I haven't made the time to fully stretch out before work and that's a mistake. I have to "open up" my body before I start training people as the cold studio( they're warm, they're swinging,lol) mixed with so much standing and truncated movements gets me very tight very quickly.

It's so easy to forget and or stop doing enough of what gets one into balance once one feels in balance. The 'need' to balance is not as strong and it's easy to get lazy.But it sure can come back and bite you in the ass and being in pain is such a major time and energy sink.

And I have LOTS to do these days,my regular job being almost the least of it,lol

Plus, you end up doing so much more stretching to get back to plumb you might as well do it in the first place.

Not to say that's the sole reason this happened; it's more likely those high knee lifts but I still need to stretch out early every day.

Who needs sleep?

7-8 am stretch out and roller

8-9:20 am

warmup

one arm swings

16 kg x5/5/5/5 x3

20 kgx5/5x2

snatch ladder

16 kg x5/5x2

20 kg x5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/6x 2 rungs

104 reps

4576 lbs

these went very well and I made some modifications to my stance that I probably needed to do anyway. My stance has been creeping in to the narrowest position it's ever been in and it's a bit too much hip and back and not enough leg

So I opened up a bit and really sat back on the descent FIRST and then did my normal groove. this put my COG over my base more and spread the load better. Felt good immediately which is usually the sign ,lol.

Tracy and her girls were doing their normal 1000 snatches or something like that.The workout was very quiet so I know it was a hard one. But she is a machine I tell you, a machine! Her work capacity rivals any one I know of.

So,now finally warmed up and my leg feeling normal I went to the 24 kg but decided to do them as I did my swings on Wednesday, Hungarian style; i.e one arm at a time.

Still wanted to be cautious and respectful of my leg even though it was feeling better and stayed with five rep sets

Hungarian snatches

24 kg

20 sets of 5 reps ,alternating arms

100 reps

5300 lbs

this was reminiscent of max vo2 training although I was totally off the clock and going by feel. Nick was out today so I had to pace myself, no problem as I was finally warmed up and feeling good. I didn't even look at the clicker as I did sets and had to real goal but to go until I felt like my form and or speed/power of each rep started to decline.

When I finally looked at the clicker and saw 17 sets I was surprised and happy. 100 reps this way was very interesting and my power stayed up for all the sets and reps and my rest periods were not long, probably no more than twice the amount of the work set( 12 sec?).

I just really wanted to get into the zone and go by feel and it worked great.I also just realized that this was a 200 rep snatch workout. Although half of them were with the 20 kg it's ok. 200 reps is 200 reps and more than I've done in quite a while.

One arm swings

24 kg x5/5

28kgx5/5

32 kg x5/5 x 5 sets

Two more sets than last week and they were much stronger. used the same slightly wider stance and layback technique here as well.My grooves are always a moving target and I have to stay alert to what my body is telling it me it needs now in order to perform safely.

Theses heavy one arms on Saturdays will really help my volume Wednesday work as well.

Two handed arm cast ladders

15 lbs x 10/10

20 lbsx 8/8

25 lbs x 5/5

x6/6

x7/7

x8/8

x9/9

x10/10

these felt very strong and didn't irritate anything,lol. nice. Actually got a lot more work done today than expected.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Now it can be told. All those pictures of Tracy on the roof swinging kettlebells were for a video shoot she was doing as part of Tim Ferris's new book "The Four Hour Body" due to release December 15.

The tag line for the book is " an uncommon guide to rapid fat loss, incredible sex and becoming Superhuman." Tracy has her own chapter in the book and her transformation is detailed there. She is the lead in the story of "rapid fat loss".Some crazy stuff is happening to us very very quickly. way cool all the way around!

Here's the video and it's too cool. Can't wait to see Tracy on the Today show with Tim,lol.

I was determined to come right home from work, take the hottest ten minute bath I could stand and go right to the gym and get to my swings. My body woke up well this morning and I stretched out easily so I knew I had no excuses at all. I even got off early at 12 noon and wasn't going to be tired at all.

As with the press I am ready to get my strength and numbers back. Tired of messing about and not having the strength mindset I need to get the work capacity I want to have as an everyday thing. So I made up my mind and that was that.

The garage is shaping up and soon it will be Stones Gym again, but for right now the platforms are solid, the bells are there,the stereo works and is loaded with all my favorite training cd's.Today ended up with Disturbed's "Indestructible" and it was symbolic and just right.

I did 230 one arms last week and wanted to make the jump to 300 but that meant 15 sets of 20( 10/10) but last week was ladders which are far easier than straight reps. So I thought I would do them "Hungarian Style" as Peter now does with his snatches and just do sets of 10 with one arm, rest as much as necessary and as little as possible and do the other arm

For some reason 30 sets of 10 seemed far more tolerable than 15 sets of 20. I'm still out of shape but I'm getting there :))> And what's out of shape is my mind, way more than my body. But that's getting there too.

One arm swings

16 kg x5/5/5/5x2

24 kg x 10 reps x 20 sets

x 10/10 x 10 sets

300 reps( current pr)

15,900 lbs

33 minutes

I am such a slow warmer upper. By the time I got to 200 reps I was ready( physically and mentally) to go to 10/10 and still keep the rest short.My groove felt so solid and smooth.And I really liked doing these one arm at a time, it allowed for a very strong workset and still high volume.

I definitely noticed on the last 100 which were done in sets of 20 that the intensity was down a bit as I was saving something for the second arm.

I actually thought I was making it easier on myself doing one arm at a time but in the end I went to the longer set to make things easier, not harder,lol

This is definitely a good sign,especially after training just yesterday as well.